A Taxonomy of Magnetostatic Field Lines
Classical Physics
2026-01-06 v1
Abstract
Contrary to widespread belief, magnetostatic field lines do not ordinarily form closed loops. Why, then, are they in fact closed for so many familiar examples? What other topologies are possible, and what current configurations generate them?
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2601.00903,
title = {A Taxonomy of Magnetostatic Field Lines},
author = {Joel Franklin and David Griffiths and Darrell Schroeter},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2601.00903},
year = {2026}
}